All
information in this article is for educational purposes only.It is not for the diagnosis, treatment,
prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

Assessing
a personÕs metabolic type and correcting it can be a very helpful method of
improving a personÕs health.This
article discusses what is a metabolic type, examples, and how the concept is
used in nutritional balancing science.

WARNING:
Metabolic typing that is offered by some other individuals and groups is not
the same as that presented in this article and on this website.Please be warned that other systems of
metabolic typing, and other methods to assess the oxidation type are different
and may be incorrect, confusing and dangerous.

WHAT IS A BODY
TYPE OR METABOLIC TYPE?

Typing or categorizing people in
various ways is an ancient science.Its purpose is to simplify diagnosis and correction of health.Ancient physicians noticed that people
fall into certain categories and those within such categories often have
similar health problems and often need similar remedies or therapies.This gave birth to the idea of typing
people in order to quickly assess what is wrong with them and what they require
for healing.

Among the most famous ancient
metabolic typing systems are:

1. Acupuncture.This very ancient system classifies people as yin or yang,
plus many variants such as yin deficient, blood deficient, yang rising and more.
The reader will find the slow and fast oxidizer concept close to the ancient
oriental concept of yin and yang.For much more it, read Yin and Yang
on this website.

Acupuncturists also may classify
people in other ways based on the pulses, tongue diagnosis or other methods.

2. Ayurveda.This is also an ancient and very complex system of healing
that classifies people as pitta, vatta and kapha, and combinations of these
three doshas, as they are called.

3. Hippocrates. This Greek physician classified
or typed people using a system of four elements – air, earth, water and
fire.He described people who had
excessive amounts of each of these as sanguine, melancholic, phlegmatic or
choleric.He related each of these
types to various organs, glands, the complexion and other factors.

4. Other typing systems describe
morphogenic types, meaning typing based on appearance, for example, or other
qualities.Some books speak of
adrenal types, thyroid or pituitary types based on the activity of their
glands.

5. Autonomic
types. Dr.
Melvin Page, DDS and others, perhaps, such as William Kelley, DDS, type people
by which branch of the autonomic nervous system is dominant – sympathetic
or parasympathetic types.

6. The stage of
stress. Hans
Selye, MD classified animals by what stage of stress they were in –
either the alarm, resistance of exhaustion stage of stress.

7. Genetic types. These include metabolic types
based upon oneÕs blood type, race, color, location or other genetic factors.

8. Vegetarians,
the elderly, or even by diseases. One can also
type people by what they eat, such as vegetarians, or by a personÕs age, sex or
health complaints.

In
each case, the goal is to simplify the understanding of why people are ill, and
also how to approach them to help them more easily.

NUTRITIONAL
BALANCING AND THE OXIDATION TYPES

The idea of classifying people
as fast or slow oxidizers was first proposed by Dr. George Watson, PhD, author
of Nutrition and Your Mind and Psycho-Chemical Energy and Personality
Strength.Originally, he
divided people into fast and slow oxidizers based on their response to odor
testing.He later correlated this
with blood pH and CO2 levels.The
blood of fast oxidizers tended to be slightly more acidic.

He also identified another
metabolic type he called sub-oxidizers.This was a group of people that did not quite fit into the fast or slow
oxidizer category.Dr. Watson
theorized that the types were based on oneÕs relative ability to handle
carbohydrates in the glycolysis cycle and fats in the Krebs cycle.

THE WORK OF DR.
PAUL ECK

Dr.
Paul C. Eck, my mentor and friend, studied a number of modern and some of the
ancient systems mentioned above.He then synthesized them in a simple way that works beautifully in most
cases.Others have their own
system that I find dangerous and incorrect.Here is Dr. EckÕs system:

1. Fast Oxidation
= an alarm stage of stress = a more yang and more sympathetic state of body
chemistry.For example, he asserted that an alarm stage of stress (the
fight-or-flight response) is a sympathetic
state.It also tends to
correspond to a fast oxidizer.This is not too hard to
understand.All are characterized
by excessive activity of the thyroid and adrenal glands and a hyper-alert state
of the nervous system.

2. Slow Oxidation = a resistance or
exhaustion stage of stress = a more yin and more parasympathetic state of body
chemistry.As stress
continues, the thyroid and adrenal glands begin to Ņburn outÓ and one goes into
the resistance and exhaustion stages of
stress.The oxidation rate begins to slow and the
body begins to move from a sympathetic to an unhealthy parasympatheticstate.The latter occurs not because one
chooses it, but because the sympathetic system becomes depleted of nutrients
and can no longer function correctly.As a result, the body flips into a parasympathetic state, in part to
prevent further catabolism and breakdown of the body.

The
distinction between the resistance and exhaustion stages of stress are not
clear to me.They may correspond
as follows:

a) Using the Na/K ratio.A high ratio is an alarm stage.A ratio between about 2 and 5 is a
resistance stage and a ratio below 2 is an exuaustion stage of stress.

b) Mild slow oxidation or a fast oxidizer with
a low sodium/potassium ratio may be a resistance stage of stress, whereas a
very slow oxidation rate, especially with a low sodium/potassium ratio is
definitely an exhaustion stage of stress and a parasympathetic state of body
chemistry.

3. Mixed
Oxidation.This is a mixture of fast and
slow oxidation, and is discussed below.

4. Four Lows
Pattern.This is strictly a hair analysis
pattern that may correspond to Dr. WatsonÕs sub-oxidation state.It is a very special condition only
seen on hair mineral analyses, to my knowledge, and critical to correct.For more on this, read Four Lows.

This is the basic correlation of
these concepts.Dr. Eck used hair
mineral analysis for his assessment of metabolic type.He found ways to correlate a patientÕs
symptoms and the metabolic typing concepts with the readings on the hair mineral
test.

WARNING: Others may use questionnaires, blood tests or other
methods to assess the oxidation rate.I have found these to be extremely inaccurate.

After much experimentation, Dr.
Eck found that certain mineral ratios are the most reliable way to
indicate the oxidation type and stage of stress.Here are the basic criteria using a hair mineral analysis, provided
the hair is not washed at the laboratory.

To assess oxidation rate, Dr.
Eck made use of the ratios of calcium-to-potassium(Ca/K) and sodium-to-magnesium (Na/Mg).For accurate mineral readings, the
hair must not be washed at the laboratory.Only two commercial laboratories in the United States do not
wash the hair, Analytical Research Labs and Trace Elements, Inc. I do not
recommend using Trace Elements, Inc. for hair testing.They are not as careful, they do not
list the ideal hair values, their graphs are more difficult to read, and their
nutrition programs are terrible.

Let us examine exactly how these
ratios are used to assess the oxidation type, and why.

The
Calcium/Potassium Ratio.This ratio has more to do with thyroid
glandular activity.Dr. Eck found
that a high calcium level in relation to potassium is associated with a slower
oxidation rate.Thyroid activity
lowers calcium.Potassium also
sensitizes the tissues to thyroid hormone.Also, calcium stabilizes cell membranes and decreases cell
permeability.

A high calcium is associated with sluggish
thyroid activity and reduced cell permeability which also decreases oxidation
and cellular respiration.Note
that diagnoses of hyperthyroidism are possible in this instance and occur quite
commonly.They occur because the
body may respond to reduced cell permeability and low cellular thyroid activity
by secreting more thyroid hormones.

Thus blood tests and some
symptoms will indicate hyperthyroidism.However, it is not the same as a primary hyperthyroidism, which may have
different causes.Mercury or
copper toxicity in the pituitary can also cause a secondary hyperthyroidism in
slow oxidizers.

Dr. Eck settled on
a ratio of 4:1 as the ideal calcium/potassium ratio.This ideal Ca/K ratio, in practice, works exceedingly well.

The
Sodium/Magnesium Ratio.The sodium/magnesium ratio is more
indicative of adrenal glandular activity.The adrenal hormone aldosterone causes sodium retention in the kidneys.Magnesium, it turns out, also has much
to do with adrenal activity.Magnesium loss, which turns out to cause a high reading in the hair, is
often associated with sluggish adrenal glandular activity.

An elevated hair sodium in
relation to magnesium is associated with excessive adrenal activity. Dr.
Eck settled on an ideal ratio of 4.17:1 for the sodium/magnesium ratio.This ideal ratio also works
exceedingly well in almost all cases.

To summarize the way the
oxidation metabolic types are calculated:

įSlow Oxidation is defined as a calcium/potassium
ratio greater than 4 AND a sodium/magnesium ratio less than 4.17.

įFast Oxidation is defined as a
calcium/potassium ratio less than 4 AND a sodium/magnesium ratio greater than
4.17.

įMixed
Oxidation.If one ratio
indicates fast and the other slow, the pattern is called mixed oxidation.This
is an unstable and temporary state that will resolve to either fast or slow in
a number of months.

Mixed
oxidizers he would call fast-mixed if the ratio that was fast was relatively
further away from the ideal than the ratio that was slow.In other words, let us imagine that the
calcium/potassium ratio indicates fast oxidation because the ratio is 1:1.This is about 1/4 of the ideal.

Now let us say the other ratio,
the sodium/magnesium ratio, is 2:1.This is only about 1/2 of the ideal value.In other words, it is closer to the ideal.Therefore, this person would be labeled
a fast mixed oxidizer because the ratio that is fast is more extreme.Said differently, the balance of the
two ratios is tending more to the fast than it is to the slow oxidation rate.

įFour Lows or sub-oxidation.Dr. Watson identified another type he called a
sub-oxidizer.Dr, Eck correlated
this to another hair analysis pattern that is called four low electrolytes.Discussion of this pattern is beyond the scope of this article but is
found in a separate article, Four Lows.

CORRELATION WITH
YIN AND YANG

A fast oxidation rate is more
yang while a the slow oxidation rate is more yin.Reasons for this are that fast oxidizers are warmer and
sweatier and often have a ruddier complexion.These are more yang qualities.They are also more prone to bacterial and viral infections
that affect people who are yang more than those who are yin.

Slow oxidizers are colder, more
sluggish, generally more ill and more toxic, and more prone to fungal
infections, among others.

Mentally
and emotionally, fast oxidizers exhibit more yang qualities such as
aggressiveness, anger and rage.Slow oxidizers exhibit more yin qualities and attitudes such as
depression, fearfulness and psychological withdrawal.

WHY IS METABOLIC
TYPING IMPORTANT FOR HEALING?

Many practitioners donÕt want to
bother with metabolic typing and just correct body chemistry based on their
symptoms, blood tests, x-rays, diagnostic label or other methods.

However, without question, I
have found that metabolic typing by Dr. EckÕs method only, is useful
for the following reasons:

1. It is helpful for
doctors and patients to realize that one does not have 10 or 20 problems or
symptoms, in many cases.One
simply is in a metabolic type that is characterized by all of these symptoms
together.For example, slow oxidizers are often
tired, depressed, anxious, cold, with a low thyroid and weak adrenals, spacy,
with sleep problems and so on.

Otherwise one seeks to correct each symptom separately, when
in fact all will improve as the oxidation rate is balanced.

2. Balancing the
metabolic type and oxidation rate greatly improves a personÕs energy
efficiency. This is an enormous benefit because it
can help resolve 10 or 20 different symptoms, including even problems the
client is unaware of such as a latent cancer or a sub-clinical heart problem.

Energy is the common denominator
of health, as anyone will find out if he or she tries this system of
nutritional balancing.Correcting
the energy level by correcting the oxidation rate can have a dramatic effect on
a personÕs health even if nothing else is done for the person.

3. Thyroid and
Adrenal Insights.These glands are so important and so
out of balance today in most people that the information gained about their
functioning that can come from the oxidation rate determination is fantastic
all by itself.Correlated with
other factors on the hair analysis, they often give an accurate and fast
glimpse of the personÕs overall state of health and the causes for many
symptoms.

4. Psychological
Insights.The metabolic type often helps a
practitioner and patient understand a dozen or more mental or emotional
symptoms, with ease.Also,
improving a personÕs energy level often has dramatic effects upon conditions
such as depression, mood swings, anxiety and others.Glandular balance also has much to do with mental and
emotional disorders.This is all
revealed using this type of analysis of the hair mineral patterns.

5. Recommending A
Diet.Dr. WatsonÕs concepts and those of
other researchers can be used successfully to help balance the oxidation rate
with food and dietary principles.For example, fast oxidizers, who are often babies, need fats and oil in
their diet in greater amounts.This is quite important.Feeding young children more starches and sugars, for example, is causing
obesity, diabetes, hyperactivity and other childrenÕs problems today.

6. Recommending
Nutritional Supplements.This is another fantastic benefit of
metabolic typing.Drs. Watson and
Eck figured out which nutrients speed up the oxidation rate and which slow it
down.By properly combining the
nutrients, formulas have been designed that are powerful to balance and correct
the oxidation rate.

Otherwise, nutritional
supplement recommendations are too often hit or miss guesswork.They can easily unbalance the body in
subtle ways.I see this daily in
my practice.It does not matter
how good the quality or value of the products.If they are not given in a way that balances the body
chemistry, they are much less effective and can cause many problems.

7. Reducing
Stress.
Balancing the oxidation rate greatly reduces stress on the body.This is often apparent in the
correction of stress-related symptoms such as fears, anxiety and others.

8. Assisting Toxic
Metal Elimination.This is another powerful benefit of
metabolic typing and correction by nutritional balancing science.Many times patients work with us who
have used all the other methods of eliminating toxic metals.These include chelation, oral chelating
agents, clay baths, foot baths and other methods.

Their hair test often reveal
toxic metals.When their oxidation
rate is balanced, the rate of elimination of the metals dramatically increases
without a need for chelators and other methods.This is the main reason I do not need IV or oral chelation,
which are less safe and overall, much less effective, I have found.

9. Eliminating
Toxic Chemicals.Modern medicine offers very
little in the way of methods of eliminate the hundreds of perhaps thousands of
toxic chemicals that surround us everywhere today, especially in developed
nations.

10. Prediction And
Prevention.If one knows the oxidation type and
rate, one can predict and then prevent many physical and emotional health
conditions.

This is only logical because
each metabolic type or imbalance is associated with specific diseases.In this manner, one can guess which
symptoms are likely to arise, often years before they actually manifest.One can also head off the symptoms
easily by balancing the metabolic type before a full-blown disease develops and
makes correction more difficult.

11. Guiding other
recommendations.I routinely use the oxidation type and
oxidation rate to make lifestyle and therapy recommendations such as for sauna
therapy, massage, tai chi, yoga, and even medical therapies.

12. Reducing or eliminating
altogether latent ailments.Latent illnesses are ones that
show no indicators at this time, even on the hair mineral analysis.However, they are growing inside and
someday will cause a heart attack, cancer, diabetes or any of a hundred other conditions.

Sadly, most people have several
of these, even as young as in their childhood.The incidence is growing as more children are born toxic and
depleted due to their motherÕs levels of toxins and nutritional deficiency.

The key here is the improvement
in the energy-producing mechanism of the body.When the oxidation rate is balanced properly, the body
automatically begins to correct even genetically-programmed imbalances to the
best of its ability.I know of no
other way to do this so easily and routinely.One cannot just look for latent conditions, because they are
too subtle to detect at their early stage.However, one can, by balancing the oxidation rate, improve
the bodyÕs own ability to scout out these problems and address them.

This is one reason why progress
in healing is sometimes slow with nutritional balancing science.What is often occurring is that latent
conditions are being corrected.This will then avoid a far more serious ailment later in life, even 20
to 50 years later.It is a very
important, hidden reason for determining the oxidation rate and type and
correcting it immediately.

This is also the reason I do the
hair analysis first, not correct the hormones first or do some other tests
first.

13. Safety.While this is a clinical observation, mainly, the concept of
balancing the body and metabolic type is a very safe approach to healing.It is far safer than any symptomatic
approach, in my experience, though no method is perfect.Safety means that as we suggest foods,
nutrients and other procedures that balance the body, the likelihood of doing
damage or otherwise harming the person is minimized.

In
contrast, giving symptomatic remedies, for example, or other methods of healing
that do not involve balancing the oxidation rate often do not improve the
patientÕs overall vitality, even if all symptoms clear up.Therefore, the patient is left weaker
in some way and is more open to problems in the future.

Antibiotics or just taking a lot
of vitamin C, for example, will kill off many infections.However, antibiotics are all somewhat
toxic.The drugs have subtle side
effects in many cases that weaken the patient.Vitamin C is not toxic, exactly, but it will lower copper
and chelate or remove other minerals.If used indiscriminately, it will unbalance the chemistry to some
degree.Nutritional balancing uses
some vitamin C, but only in low doses and in a very precise way so as not to
unbalance the metaboli type or balance.

14. ŌSpiritual
DevelopmentÕ.What I mean by this is very
precise.People may say that any
effort to improve oneÕs mind or energy level or something else like this is
spiritual development.However,
this is not quite so.

Spiritual
development, as used on this website, refers to achieving a very high level of
physical and mental health.This
will allow a person to achieve his or her highest potential.It is, in fact, the crowning
achievement of nutritional balancing science.
There is much more to this development having to do with unfoldment of the subtle
human bodies such as the etheric body.This seems to absolutely require balancing the oxidation rate of the
body in a delicate way.I donÕt
know why this is so, but it appears to be the case.

This, by the way, is one reason
why nutritional balancing does not use many herbs and other popular products
that others recommend.These
simply are too imprecise in their action to balance the chemistry.The topic of spiritual development is
the subject of other several articles on this website such as Spiritual Development.

Finally, recall that other
doctors and practitioners use different methods to assess the oxidation type,
and recommend different diets for each type.These may be very dangerous and I would avoid them.